Singapore, Helsinki and Zurich top smartest cities list

LONDON: Singapore, Helsinki and Zurich are the world’s smartest cities, according to an index published yesterday amid a growing debate on the future of urban design for a postCovid era.

From smart traffic cameras and car sharing apps to pollution monitoring and free WiFi for all, cities around the world are racing to embrace technology, but researchers said the real test was whether citizens felt the benefits.

‘‘The world’s ‘smart’ cities don’t simply adopt new technology, they make sure it truly improves citizens’ lives,’’ said Arturo Bris of the Swissbased International Institute for Management Development (IMD), which published the index.

The Smart City Index, now in its second year, surveyed more than 13,000 people in 109 cities, focusing on how they perceived the impact of technology in five areas: health and safety, mobility, activities, opportunities and governance.

Others in the top 10 included Auckland, Oslo, Copenhagen, Geneva, Taipei City, Amsterdam and New York.

The index, a collaboration with the Singapore University for Technology and Design, showed that many countries are developing smart secondary cities beyond their capitals.

Experts say Covid19 has accelerated a shift towards more inclusive, greener, smarter cities. Bris also predicted a growing trend towards smaller cities.

‘‘I think we’re moving to a world where we will be more dispersed. We will be safer if we live in smaller cities.’’ — Reuters